Let's Have a Pulp Friday!

I dug out Pulp's Separations yesterday and just had an absolute blast with it. Forgot how much I love this album. Here's the "hit."

I still haven't been in the headspace to give Pulp's latest record, this year's More, a proper listen, but perhaps soon.

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Watch:

Last night I drove an hour into Nashville to catch the new Joe Begos film Jimmy & Stiggs on the big screen. 100% worth it!

This movie is the fucking definition of balls-to-the-wall DIY. So loud, so neon, so METAL! Begos stars alongside Matt Mercer in a whiskey-drenched, cocaine-fueled fight to the death against aliens who invade his apartment and do some pretty heinous things to the two friends, the titular Jimmy (Begos) and Stiggs (Mercer). Fantastic on-screen chemistry. Like Christman, Bloody Christmas, some of the dialogue goes a bit off the rails for me (pun intended), but it doesn't matter. I'm in awe at the sheer force of will that is the Joe Begos filmmaking machine. See this in the theatre, and when you do, arrive early for the two fake trailers and stay late for the behind-the-scenes. 

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Playlist:

Mastodon - Emperor of Sand

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

Boredoms - Chocolate Synthesizer

Black Sabbath - Eponymous

lords. - bleeding out

Young Widows - Power Sucker 

Cryo Chamber - Echoes of the Hollow Earth

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - No More Shall We Part

Pulp - Separations

The Veils - Total Depravity

White Zombie - La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1

BESET - Most Foul

HEALTH & NIN - Isn't Everyone (single)

NIN - As Alive As You Need Me To Be (single)

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE. Also, Grimm just launched a Kickstarter for his new The Art of the Fae Bound Deck Art Book. Check that out HERE.

• Kings of Wands

• VIII: Strength

• VI: The Lovers

Drive, Strength and Passion. Three things I find myself contemplating A LOT. I have them, but do I have enough of them? Is this an eternal question all creators ask themselves?

New Music From Ritual Howls!!!

Ritual Howls announced a new record and dropped an awesome new track, so let's all rejoice! You can pre-order a super nifty neon green vinyl on their Bandcamp right HERE.

I realized I completely forgot about and never ordered the band's previous release, 2023's Virtue Falters, so I have to go back and take care of that at some point. But this is a very well-timed release; we're approaching Autumn, and just over the last two days, I've felt twitches of it. First, I pulled out the copy of The Damned's live Night of 1000 Vampires the other day, an album Mr. Brown gifted me and that I played continuously last autumn. Then yesterday I had a taste for Joy Division. So, having a new Howls' record for Halloween 2025 will be a welcome event.

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NCBD:

Another easy week, but everything here is something I can't wait to read! Let's go:

The penultimate issue of Daniel Warren Johnson's run, which ends next month with Transformers issue 24! The cover says it all - I really dig what they've been doing with ol' Ultra Magnus, and in general, the Autobots are in such dire straits, I can't wait to see how this all plays out.  

I LOVED issue one of the first Epitaphs from the Abyss spin-off mini series, Blood Type, and am looking forward to more. 

Hands down the best regularly produced Batman book I've read since Morrison's run almost twenty years ago now. I know this ends in a few issues, but I'll enjoy Dark Patterns while I can. Dan Watters and Hayden Sherman are really operating at peak performance on this one. 

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I found this trailer for Matt Stuertz's new feature, Human, via Bloody Disgusting, which had a headline comparing it to Greg Araki meets Evil Dead 2. I see the Araki for sure, not 100% certain I see the Raimi. Regardless, for what looks like a super small budget, I am intrigued and won't hold a Howie Mandel cameo against the film.

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Playlist:

The Damned - Night of 1000 Vampires

Windhand - Eternal Return

John Carpenter and Alan Howarth - Prince of Darkness OST

Revocation - New Gods, New Masters (pre-release singles)

Blackbraid - Blackbraid III

Witchthroat Serpent - Trove of Oddities at the Devil's Driveway

Sleep - Dopesmoker

QOTSA - Rated R

Black Sabbath - Eponymous

Joy Division - Substance

Ritual Howls - Follow the Sun (single)

Ritual Howls - Virtue Falters

Ritual Howls - Into the Water

Ritual Howls - A Safe Haven From the Sun (single)

Cryo Chamber - Echoes of the Hollow Earth

Young Widows - Power Sucker

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Ace of Cups

• V: The Hierophant

• Seven of Wands

Emotional breakthrough leads beyond accepted dogma/practices to a victory of Will. 

First, let's take a moment to marvel at the artistic merit of these three particular cards. My god  - I'm blown away every time I stop to examine Grimm's art in this deck. Not just the actual art, but the concepts and pulling together of so many similar attributes - stoner rock, Weedian folklore, Occult influences, 70s Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Breathtaking, I tell you.

Okay, so what the hell is this pull saying? I've finally knuckled down and have been writing very nearly every day, and it's paying off. The book I'm working on - Shadow Play Two - is extremely difficult to write. I have a timeline that dates back to Elizabeathan England and draws in a lot of minor historical figures. I'm having trouble shaping the second act of the book - which I'm back to thinking will take place in both Elizabeathan and Victorian England, and a lot of my work is slow going. 

Bruit ≤

I discovered Bruit ≤ last week via the always wonderful KEXP YouTube channel, and just fell in love with them. 

From the new album Age of Ephemerality, which you can order HERE.

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Watch:

While Zach Cregger's Weapons was the huge release last week, another Horror film also hit my local theatre. Strange Harvest is one I had not heard of until my cohosts on The Horror Vision mentioned it, and now that I have my first Weapons screening out of the way (number two is coming soon enough), I very much want to check this one out, too:

I should add that I know nothing about this film, and as usual, while I'm posting this trailer here, I have not watched it. I love going in blind! This is from Stuart Ortiz, whose 2011 film Grave Encounters I've seen at some foggy point in the past, but remember next to nothing about. 

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Playlist:

Zombi - 2020

Blackbraid - Blackbraid III

Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power

Deadguy - Near-Death Travel Services

Revocation - New Gods, New Masters (pre-release singles)

Perturbator - Age of Aquarius (pre-release singles)

Ghost Bath - Moonlover

Ghost Bath - Rose Thorn Necklace

David Bowie - Outside

Arctic Monkeys - AM

Ministry - HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES

Crystal Castles - II

Blackbraid - Blackbraid II

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• IX: The Hermit

• Seven of Cups

• Six of Swords

Turn inward and experience an Earthly victory derived from Science.

Basically, meditation - which I had a wonderful experience with at a full moon sound bath this past Saturday - creates the opportunity to 'hack' some Earthbound area of concern and triumph over it in a lasting, emotionally satisfying way.

So while I have part of this locked solid in interpretation, I'm not entirely sure what the meditation is going to affect. I have to sit and think back over the ebbings of my mind during that session - there may be a clue contained within. 

Blackbraid III is OUT NOW!!!

 

Blackbraid III, out everywhere today! Psyched for the arrival of my vinyl, which I pre-ordered directly from the band's online shop HERE.

 

Last weekend, while doing some work around the house, I put in my headphones and listened to Blackbraid I and II in succession. This is a band that deserves all the hype; in fact, Blackbraid deserves a lot more hype! There's an evolution going on across these three records that is breathtaking to behold, and you can see how their success funnelled directly into their Art. The cover artwork on III is a contender for cover of the year. Artist Adam Burke absolutely nailed this, and with Adrian Baker's layout, this is something I cannot wait to just sit and stare at while cranking the record. (You can read a bit more about the album and the art HERE)

I had hopes of seeing Blackbraid live, but alas, they're playing Chicago when I'm in LA this October, and they're playing LA when I'm back home in TN, so I'll have to catch them next time. 

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Weapons. Holy shit. THIS might actually topple Eddington as my favorite film of the year. Zach Cregger has actually crafted yet another movie that belies all comparison. Weapons is unique. It is intricate and perfectly executed. The storytelling here is just on another level. The characters - of which there are quite a few - are very well-written and expertly developed. As my good friend and cohost on The Horror Vision said last night during our live, spoiler-free reaction on IG, "The characters are rich."

Yes. That is exactly the word.

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Go into this as blind as possible. I will say, another thing that now appears to go hand-in-hand with Cregger's brand is the mystery, so that even though I've seen the initial trailer for this film several times, and have been inundated with a more recent ad while watching The Bear on our HULU (our phone pays for the subscription, so there are ads), I still knew NOTHING about this film. That's a feat. While Blumhouse continues to beat everyone over the head with trailers that show (and ruin) the entire movie, Directors like Mr. Cregger and Oz Perkins have "spoiler-free" built into their brand.

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Playlist:

Opeth - Solitude (Black Sabbath Cover live)

Eric Prydz - Call Me (single)

Black Sabbath - Vol. 4

Opeth - Blackwater Park

Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power

Ghost Bath - Moonlover

Beastmilk - Climax

Bella Morte - Where Shadows Lie

Revocation - New Gods, New Masters (pre-release singles)

Black Sabbath - Sabotage

Blackbraid - Blackbraid III

Bruit ≤ - Live on KEXP

Cobalt - Gin

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Queen of Cups - The Watery aspect of Water: Emotion x 2

• Page of Wands - The Earthly aspect of Fire: Earthly expenditures/expression of Will

• Page of Cups - The Earthly aspect of Water: Earthly expenditures/expressions of Emotion

Heavy emotions lead to Earthly concerns diluting the Will. 

RIP Terry Reid!

I love this song. LOVE. I was initially introduced to it via Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects Soundtrack, and for most of the 00s, it appeared on my burned CD mix compilations. I spent some serious time zoned out on various substances, just feeling this song - so much to feel!

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NCBD:

An easy week on the wallet for once:

Ericka Slaughter's origin continues. I'm digging these flashback issues; however, it perpetually thwarts my desire for the current timeline story to move forward! 

I'm really enjoying Larry Hama's ARAH as a totally hyperbolic version of Joe. Funny that this book used to be so rooted in reality. As I've suggested here before, though, after 300+ issues, you'd have to take things into weird territory to keep it interesting. Yet, make no mistake. A lesser writer would have rendered this title obsolete with all the AI, cyborgs, genetic mutations and, well, Serpentors that fill its pages. Not Hama. Still solid after all these years. 

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Watch:

I'm not sure why, but until last Sunday, I had no interest in watching Season 2 of Netflix's The Sandman adaptation. My Drinking with Comics host Mike Shinabargar recently mentioned that the final episode was set to drop on 7/31 and that he'd like to cover the show. After a few hours of yard work in the particularly grueling heat, I came inside, collapsed onto the couch, and fired up the episode, Seasons of Mist. 

 

I think two things are going on here. One, I think I'm way more attached to the stories adapted in the first season than this one, so it was harder for me to accept any changes (same with "24 Hours" from the first volume). Two, Tom Sturridge has really come to embody the character of Morpheus. The dour expression, the ever-changing, always confounding hair, the glassy stare. He just nails it in every scene this season. I've just hit the point where the season and the show move into their final arc in adapting The Kindly Ones, and this particular storyline in the comics is another I'm super attached to. So far, no complaints. I've heard this is around the point where the series begins to feel rushed, but so far, I'm not getting that. This could very well be because, when I began reading The Sandman near the end of its monthly run, I jumped in on The Kindly Ones, and at the time, the only collections available in trade were the first three volumes, Preludes and Noctures, Doll's House and Dream Country. The latter three were adapted as Season One of the show, so it stands to reason that, for someone who didn't read volumes 4-8 until later and thus, know them less intimately, adapting the four seasons I know makes this show fit my experience with The Sandman like a glove. Season Two effectively starts with Seasons of Mist (Volume 4), moves into A Game of You (Volume 5), and I think, bypasses virtually everything from Volumes 6-8. 

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Playlist:

Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon

Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz

Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman

Ian Lynch - All You Need is Death OST

Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul

M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

Hangman's Chair - Saddiction

Deafheaven - Sunbather

King Woman - Celestial Blues

Moon Wizard - Sirens

Black Pyramid - The Paths of Time Are Vast

Benjamin Booker - LOWER

Type O Negative - Life Is Killing Me

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• IX: The Hermit

• Five of Pentacles

• XXI: The World

Anticipate setbacks by taking a strategic withdrawal and considering the bigger picture. This is a 'work' reading, and it's as timely as it is on the money.

7 Days of Sabbath! Day 7: Jack the Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots

I wanted to bring 7 Days of Sabbath and two weeks of celebrating the life and music of Ozzy Osbourne to a close with one of my favorite Sabbath songs (there are so many favorites!). Jack the Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots is such a great track. I'll never forget listening to the lyrics as a young stoner and thinking, "How can I see Fairies with boots on dancing with a dwarf?"

Luckily, I never quite got there. 

Tomorrow? Tomorrow our mourning ends. Let the celebration continue!

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7 Days of Sabbath! Day 6: Meglomania Live 1975

One of my all-time favorite Sabbath deep-cuts and among their best lyrics. Finding this blew me away in a week where I've been pretty blown away at what can be found on YouTube from the "Before Times."

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The thumbnail image for Shudder's newest Shudder Original, Monster Island, instantly caught my eye with what appeared to be a Creature of the Black Lagoon-like monster. Here's the trailer:

What a fantastic concept - a U.S. soldier and a Japanese soldier stranded on an island during WWII have to overcome their differences to survive being stalked by a monster. I tried to find the time to watch this over the weekend, but most of my free 'watch' time has been spent enamored with The Sandman Season Two, so I'll get to this one later this week.

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Playlist:

Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin

Witchthroat Serpent - Trove of Oddities at the Devil's Driveway

Escape Driver - No Fate

Ennio Morricone - The Thing OST

John Carpenter - Prince of Darkness OST

John Carpenter - Big Trouble in Little China OST

Deadguy - Near-Death Travel Services

Rein - Reincarnated

The Revolting Cocks - Attack Ships on Fire (single)

The Revolting Cocks - Beers, Steers + Queers

Perturbator - Lustful Sacraments

Perturbator - The Uncanny Valley

Black Sabbath - Sabotage

Black Sabbath - Vol. 4

Ren - Vincent's Tale (single)

Aerosmith - Rocks

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

Deafheaven - New Bermuda

Deftones - Koi No Yokan

Young Widows - Power Sucker

Young Widows - Settle Down City

King Woman - Doubt EP

Turnstile - GLOW ON

Blackbraid - Blackbraid I

Blackbraid - Blackbraid II

NIN - As Alive As You Need Me To Be (single)

NIN - Year Zero

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• XIX: The Sun

• Queen of Pentacles

• Six of Swords

Enlightenment and Emotional grounding make this a good time to make decisions. 

What decision to make, though? This caught me a bit unaware, so I'll have the cards on my desk throughout the day, reminding me to keep the reading's lesson in mind.